from my site www. my name.com
Dave Cokin
531 Missouri State @ 532 Utah
Play: Utah -4.5
I'm not overly impressed with Utah, but I like their chances as they host a Missouri State team. The road team has been giving up a ton of offensive rebounds. Utah is among the best teams in the country in terms of preventing second chances. I see this game being decided on those extra opportunities, and the altitude edge owned by the Utes should be an added advantage. Utah minus the spot is the choice
JEFF BENTON
I know this is a big number for the Panthers to be laying, but Oklahoma State is crap. In their two toughest games this year, the Cowboys got destroyed, losing 91-61 to Marquette and 65-49 to Illinois, with both games being played on a neutral floor in Maui. And in their only true road game this year, the Cowboys lost at North Texas 82-73 as a six-point favorite!
Well, today, Oklahoma State has to play the 9-0 Panthers in Pitt?s cozy home gym, so this is without question the toughest environment the Cowboys will have faced to date.
Throw in the fact that Pitt has won its four home games by an average of 22 points per contest (79-57) and that the Panthers are in a revenge spot ? they lost at Oklahoma State 95-89 in overtime last year ? and I have no problem laying the big points with the 11th-ranked team in the land.
(based on a 1 to a 10 ♦ Rating)
3♦ PITT
CTO
11* UTAH
After hardly slowing anyone down (50% FGs, ranked 322nd LY!) in LY's disastrous 11-19 campaign, Utah's demanding 1st-year mentor Jim Boylen (Coach Izzo disciple) has Utes finally focused on defense, while going more uptempo (with set plays) on other end (hitting 50% FGs). That formula should work vs. still-evolving MS missing the leadership & shooting prowess of LY's top 3 leading scorers, as Bears have committed 44 TOs and are only 6 of 40 from arc in both road games vs. major foes thru Dec. 10. And watch Utes agile 7-1, 275 C Nevill (14 ppg, 8 rpg) hurt State's foul-prone 6-9 C Richards in paint. *UTAH 76 - Missouri State 60
10* MEMPHIS
After barely surviving in 62-58 OT victory vs. Southern Cal in previous game, doubt rested Memphis (off since Dec. 4) shows much mercy vs. overmatched, run & gun MTS quintet it destroyed 86-46 year ago. Tigers spectacular 6-4 true frosh PG Rose (16 pg, 4 apg, 6 rpg) already has NBA scouts salivating. And envision Calipari's deep, relentless bench extending margin vs. Blue Raider squad quickly dispatched in its only other games vs. quality foes (trailed Tennessee & Houston by combined 59 pts. by H!) Payback doesn't work. MEMPHIS 95 - Middle Tennessee State 60
Kiki Sports
2 units Bengals -8
1 unit Wizards UNDER 198.5
1 unit Mavericks +3.5
1 unit Kentucky -5.5
1 unit Butler -4
THEDOCTOR ( NOT BOB- THE OTHER ONE)
3 Unit Play. #8 Take Cleveland -5 ? over Buffalo (Sunday 1:00 pm CBS) Nobody would have guessed that this game would have great playoff implications but that is exactly what has developed. The Browns have been dominating as a favorite, covering 12 of their last 15 games. The have a solid QB in Anderson and the same thing cannot be said for Buffalo, as they have alternated quarterbacks all season long. The Browns have made a living all season long beating the teams that they are supposed to beat and playing Buffalo at home certainly falls under that category. The Bills pounded Miami last week, but they will face a team will a powerful offense on Sunday. The Browns continue to light up the scoreboard and all but wrap up the sixth seed in the AFC. Cleveland 27, Buffalo 17.
4 Unit Play. #16 Take New Orleans -3 ? over Arizona (Sunday 1:00 pm Fox) I have to admit that this line surprises me a little bit, as both teams are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. Arizona has never been a good road team and the Saints are starting to put it together after a tough start to open the season. The Saints should be on a three-game winning streak for it not for a horrible play call against Tampa Bay two weeks ago. But they have put that botched play behind them and took out their frustration on Atlanta last Monday Night. The Cardinals have lost two of their last three games including a home loss against San Francisco. They have just one road victory on the season and that will not be enough to keep this game close. New Orleans 28, Arizona 17.
3 Unit Play. #28 Take San Diego -10 over Detroit (Sunday 4:15 pm Fox) After a hot start to the season, Detroit has finally realized who they are and thrown in the towel on this season, losing five straight. That includes a heartbreaker to Dallas last week in which they dominated for 58 minutes only to lose it at the end, when the defense could not fall on a fumble. San Diego can clinch the AFC West with a victory, so expect them to come out firing after an emotional win last week @ Tennessee. Detroit does not have the defense to stop San Diego and thus expect the Chargers to light up the scoreboard. This will be a high scoring game that San Diego pulls away from late and thus ends the season for the Lions in regards to their playoff hopes.
MIKE LINEBACK
Selection 1: NBA Basketball (517-518)
4* Dallas Mavericks/Houston Rockets 15-December-2007 5:35 PM PST Total Points UNDER 189 for Game -110
Selection 2: NCAA Basketball (538)
4* Oklahoma 15-December-2007 12:00 PM PST Spread -3.5 for Game -110
Small opinions on Texas Tech +5.5, Pepperdine +20.5 & Purdue Pk.
Passing on Saturday football.
If I had to play I would tease Cincinnati & the OVER. However, don?t feel comfortable with the total with 49ers starting a 3rd string QB combined with season long O problems vs. a porous Cincinnati D.
OC DOOLEY COMP
9-2 past eleven days here on FREE pick report!
?1 UNIT? COLLEGE BASKETBALL INTANGIBLE (New Mexico -4 at home versus Texas Tech in a 4:05 eastern tipoff on the VERSUS Network): The ?intangible? has to do with the fact that Steve Alford used to be a player for Bob Knight a long time ago at Indiana, and he is facing his mentor late this afternoon. Of course Alford is making a living these days as a head coach, with his most recent stop being at Iowa in the Big-10 draw. However, Alford has taken on a brand new challenge this campaign going out west to head the New Mexico program which is off to a sizzling 8-2 SU/7-2 ATS start. Note that the Lobos actually won their initial SEVEN games under Alford, which was the school?s best start to a season since way back in 1999. The New Mexico offense is averaging a healthy 74 points per game, while the defense is limiting opponents to just 58 points per contest so far. What has impressed me is that New Mexico?s new head coach is that he has used all TEN players on the active roster in each and every game, averaging 14?-to-26? minutes per contest. The Lobos have 7 different players with multiple starting assignments, and nobody has attempted less than 24 total shots from the field. My research indicates that the Lobos BENCH has been responsible for 44% of the points and 45% of all rebounds, which is mind boggling production from ?non? regulars. Through their initial 8 games, the Lobos led the entire Mountain West Conference in both assists and 3-pointers made implemented per game. New Mexico also is ranked 2nd or 3rd in a grand total of TWELVE other statistical categories. The only problem with the Lobos is that their lineup is rather small, so opponents with a lot of size in the paint can dominate them. But that is NOT the case with Texas Tech whose top production is from the GUARD slot as Martin Zeno and Alan Voskuil together are combining for more than 30 points per game. My databaser research indicates that Texas Tech is a dismal 11-26 ATS/ROAD the past decade after successfully covering the spread TWICE in a 3-game span. New Mexico just happens to be UNDEFEATED where it counts this season (6-0 ATS) after allowing 60-or-less points in their prior contest. Do I hear 7-0 ATS anyone
Brandon Lang
SATURDAY
10-DIME - Xavier, Utah and Butler
5-DIME - UNC Charlotte, Pittsburgh and Bengals
10 Dime - Xavier
Uninspiring and lethargic ? a pair of adjectives that easily describe Xavier's win over rival Cincinnati. Inside the final four minutes of the Dec. 12 showdown, the Musketeers had been outworked, out-hustled and outmaneuvered for the most of the 75th Crosstown Shootout; and though they won the game, it was the lethargic effort that is giving us the value in this game, an easy low chalk play with the better team. Xavier, 8-1 SU and 4-2 ATS on the year, is outscoring its foes by an average margin of nine points away from Cincy-town, and I honestly don't believe the Sun Devils have a clue what they're about to face after seeing the likes of Coppin State and Delaware State the last two times out. ASU hasn't played the types of teams Xavier has, and that'll play a big part in this blowout for us. Lay the chalk as this will be all Xavier.
10 Dime ? Utah
The Missouri State Bears will get a rude awakening in the Huntsman Center today, as the Utes are a feisty team that can play an up-tempo game ignited by a stingy defense that held the 91.3-points-a-game Oregon Ducks to a season-low 75 points last Saturday. Rolling into this clash on a 13-5 all-time mark against foes from the Missouri Valley Conference, the Utes are looking to make their mark on the nation once again ? their first since the days of Rick Majerus. And while the defense is has stymied three-of-four guests this season and is helping the Utes outscore folks at Huntsman by an average final of 73-60, the offense currently ranks No. 1 in the Mountain West Conference and fourth in the nation in field-goal percentage, converting at a .523 clip. Play the home team in this one, as Utah continues to look solid in preseason action.
10 Dime - Butler
All of a sudden Butler is the 'next something or another', haven't you heard? Yes, the Bulldogs have attained the label "The Next Gonzaga," which means one of two things ? if not both ? and that is Gonzaga has arrived, or Butler is about to. The thing is, I've always considered Butler a part of the show, and once again the Dawgs are proving me right. Coming off their second Sweet 16 in the past five Big Dances, the Bulldogs are 8-1, ranked 18th and what's this ? oh my! - favored to beat big, nasty Florida State in today's Wooden Tradition. I'll lay the chalk at Conseco Fieldhouse, as the Dawgs are getting it done with an incredible chemistry between players who are playing team basketball - sharp-shooting players who have a keen eye from the arc ? and whose selfless ways become contagious up and down the roster. And get this: Butler has won nine of its past 10 games against schools from Bowl Championship Series conferences. Talk about being a big-game hunter, I'll take the Dawgs in this one.
5 Dime ? Charlotte
Give me Bobby Lutz's crew in this one, as it's won three in a row and four of their last five entering tonight's contest at Hofstra. Though this represents the 49ers' first true road game of the year, it's hard to ignore the fact Hofstra has lost four in a row, albeit each by four points or less, to Stony Brook, Fordham, UNC Wilmington and St. Francis. Not exactly the blockbuster bunch to brag about losing closely to, is it? Charlotte has held six of its first eight opponents below 40 percent shooting, including each of the last five (4-1), while bolting out to a 6-2 start on the season. Charlotte has also forced more turnovers in five of the first eight games, forcing 17.6 turnovers per game. This is enough for us to side with the Niners here, as they sink the Pride into humility.
5 Dime ? Pitt
Pittsburgh won its first six games by an average of 31 points per contest, and in all but one of those outings the Panthers led by double digits at halftime, with the average lead being 20 at the break in those games. So here comes this Oklahoma State team that is threatening to be just that ? the Panthers' first real threat ? and there are so many intangibles that say the Cowboys will give Pitt a good game. Then I look at the line. If this game is to be so contentious, why is this line so big? Don't let the oddsmakers fool you here, as the Panthers are the much better team, and are proving Aaron Gray is not missed this season. Our edge in this one is that Oklahoma State is a guard-oriented team that tends to stay beyond the arc. The Cowboys are averaging nearly 24 3-point attempts per contest, and though they're draining about 36 percent of those shots, the Panthers have vowed to improve on defense for this one by pressuring the rock at mid-court. Lay the chalk with the Panthers.
5 Dime - Bengals
Welcome to the 2007 season Cincy D, your offensive teammates have missed you all season. As it turns out, you've been here all along and you're final showing your face. This is a defense known for having more holes then Swiss cheese, but most recently, Cincy has won three of its last five by allowing just one team to gain more than 300 yards. And over this stretch, the defense is allowing only 262 yards of offense per game, while roughly 13 points per game the past three outings. Shaun Hill makes his first NFL start tonight, and he'll be introduced to Cincy's rejuvenated stop unit, as will the rushing game, which I expect to take some of the pressure off Hill. In the meantime, balancing things out on the other side will be an offense that we all know is capable of lighting up the scoreboard, and is long overdue for a blowout. Carson Palmer will be taking aim for his 100th career TD pass, and will get a balanced attack from Rudi Johnson, who has picked up his game as well. This is a pure blowout in the making, as we take the Bengals
Big Al GOM
Team is Houston in NBA
Marco D'Angelo | CBB Sides Triple-Dime Bet
544 New Mexico -5.0 (-110) BetUS vs 543 Texas Tech
Analysis: New Mexico owns one of the Toughest Home Courts in all of College Basketball and today they play host to Bob Knight's Texas Tech team. Texas Tech hasn't played since December 5th and will be rusty today. Factor in that Tech's last game was a 86-31 Laugher against louisiana Tech and we will have bunch a kids feeling pretty good about themselves and won't be mentally prepared for what New Mexico is going to bring at them today. Texas Tech will come out flat which will give New Mexico a early lead on their strong home floor which will turn into a comfortable Double Digit Win in the second half. I expect New Mexico to by 11-14 Points. TAKE NEW MEXICO as MARCO'S 7* COLLEGE HIGH ROLLER PLAY and make them a TRIPLE DIME PLAY.
Dr. Bob -
Cincinnati (-8.5) 23 SAN FRANCISCO 17
05:15 PM Pacific Time Saturday, Dec-15 - Stats Matchup
Cincinnati is an improved team since inserting Rashad Jeanty at linebacker and moving Robert Geathers to defensive end in week 5, as the Bengals once porous defense has yielded just 5.0 yards per play in 5 games since the defensive changes (to teams that would combine to average 4.9 yppl against an average defense). The Bengals are still better than average offensively and are a slightly better than average team overall even with worse than average special teams. San Francisco, meanwhile, is the NFL?s second worst team, but Shaun Hill could be an improvement at quarterback over Alex Smith and Trent Dilfer. Hill came in last week and looked decisive and sharp in completing 22 of 27 passes and averaging 6.0 yards per pass play. Those numbers came against a Minnesota defense that was playing soft, but at least Hill made the right reads and threw the ball accurately, which is more than can be said of the Niners? other two quarterbacks. I?ll assume that Hill is not an upgrade and my math model favors Cincinnati by 5 ? points. However, the Niners have been under-performing their stats by 3 points so I can certainly justify a line of 8 ? points in this game. I?m going to lean with San Francisco based on the decent chance that Hill is an improvement at quarterback
Jim Rich
Bengals Over 42 1/2
Mighty Quinn
Bengals -9
Pointwise
NCAAB
Rating:1 Pepperdine 69 BYU 78
Rating:2 Denver 69 Penn st 71
Rating:3 Ark-LR 88 Fla-int 67
Rating:5 Oklahoma 83 Arkansas 70
Best Bets:Utah,Nebraska,Charlotte, New Mexico, and Portland.
NBA
Rating:1 Utah 108 Seattle 91
Rating:3 Phoenix 111 New Orleans 98
Best Bets:Atlanta and Denver
NFL
Cincinnati 27 San Francisco 10
Wunderdog free pick
Complimentary Picks and Analysis
Game: Baltimore at Miami (Sunday 12/16 1:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: Miami +3.5 (-110)
If the season started seven weeks ago, many may be talking about Baltimore the
same way they talk about Miami. The question would be, "will this team win a
game all season?" Yes, the Ravens have dropped their last seven in a row. The
defense has gotten tired and looks old, and the offense still doesn't move the
ball. Despite their big loss last week, Miami has been close to breaking
through, as they have lost six games by 3 points or less. The schedule has
featured just five teams with sub-.500 records, and this will be their best
chance all season at a win. They are home, getting a team that has vastly
underperformed and is coming off two big high profile opponents to face a
winless team. The Ravens are just 7-19 ATS in their last 26 on the road, and 0-7
ATS in their last seven as a road favorite. Baltimore has the 28th ranked
offense, and on the road this offense is horrenous and has been so for years.
This year they are scoring 12.8 away from home. Miami has a similar offense
overall, but they are home where they are averaging 16.3 points per game. The
Ravens defense, while considered very good, ranked 6th in yards allowed, is near
the very bottom of the league in points allowed (ranked #26, allowing 24.5 ppg).
Miami has given up a ton of points to the league's elite offenses (Dallas,
Cleveland, New England), but against everyone else they are allowing 24 ppg.
They should be able to keep Baltimore for going nuts here as this will be the
worst offense they have faced all season - by a long shot. Don't underestimate
the power of fear. After losing last week, and with New England and Cincinnati
on deck, the fear of being the first team to go 0-16 is front-and-center for the
Dolphins. Whether they admit it or not, this is their best remaining shot of
avoiding that disaster. Meanwhile, a very dissapointed Baltimore team (off a
13-3 year, now at 4-9 and in the AFC North cellar) has relatively little
motivation to get up for a winless team. We like Miami to pull this one out.
Ben Burns Sat NFL GOY: 49ERS (+7 or better)
Game: Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Francisco 49ers Game Time: 12/15/2007 8:15:00 PM Prediction: San Francisco 49ers Reason: I'm taking the points with SAN FRANCISCO. I believe that this game means a great deal to the 49ers. This was a team that had really improved last season and which had then gone out and spent significantly during the offseason in order to compete with the Seahawks for the division title. Obviously things haven't worked out. The QB situation has been a mess and running back Gore hasn't been nearly as effective as he was last season. After re-watching last week's game, I believe that the 49ers are ready to turn it around and close out the season on a winning pointspread run. That may sound funny, considering that they got blown out by the Vikings. I really liked what I saw from QB Shaun Hill though, who came on in relief of Trent Dilfer after the veteran suffered a concussion. It was more than the fact that Hill went an impressive 22 of 27 and had a QB rating of 106.9. Rather, it was the passion with which he played the game. He was genuinely excited to be in the game and his play provided a real lift to the team. Although I never considered him to be a top tier quarterback, I always kind of liked Trent Dilfer. However, the reality is that he's been terrible this season. Indeed, in seven games he has thrown 12 interceptions to only seven touchdowns and has a dismal QB rating of 55.1. Dilfer's accuracy hasn't been there and the interceptions have come at critical moments. Needless to say, I expect Hill to provide a major upgrade. The matchup is a favorable one for Hill, as he'll face a Bengals' unit which ranks fifth from the bottom in points allowed and in the bottom third of virtually all defensive categories. Like the 49ers, the Bengals are better than their record indicates. They also come off a solid win last week. Like the 49ers, they'd like to close out the season on a roll. However, last week's victory came at home and they've been dismal on the road all season, going 1-5 and falling to 1-7 their last eight games away from Cincinnati dating back to last December. Bengals' coach Marvin Lewis is already hearing his name linked to various college coaching jobs and the Bengal's "character issues" are well documented. The fact that both teams come off low-scoring games last week is interesting as we find the Bengals at 0-6 ATS the last six times that they were coming off a game which finished below the total and the 49ers at 10-3 ATS the last 13 times that they scored nine points or less. While I'll gladly grab all the points I can get, I'm expecting a highly motivated effort from the 49ers and won't be at all surprised if they score the outright upset. *Saturday GOY
CTO
CTO record for baskets .there week ended last night. (10-4)
4-1.....11*
6-3.....10*
week 1.....5-1
2-0 ........11*
3-1..........10
week 2...5-3
2-1 ...11*
3-2......10*
10* DALLAS over New Orleans (NBA)...This is a major revenge game for Dallas, which had its 21-game series winning streak against the Hornets
snapped in overtime at New Orleans on Dec. 1. A focused effort is further ensured by fact that Mavs have been in the unfamiliar position of
looking up at New Orleans in the standings. Although Hornets have been tough on the road (8-2 SU), most of those wins were logged against
inferior opposition (N.O. was favored in 7 of its first 10 road games). *DALLAS 108 - New Orleans 92 RATING - 10
10* MEMPHIS over Middle Tennessee State (at Nashville)....After barely surviving in 62-58 OT victory vs. Southern Cal in previous game, doubt
rested Memphis (off since Dec. 4) shows much mercy vs. overmatched, run & gun MTS quintet it destroyed 86-46 year ago. Tigers
spectacular 6-4 true frosh PG Rose (16 pg, 4 apg, 6 rpg) already has NBA scouts salivating. And envision Calipari?s deep, relentless bench
extending margin vs. Blue Raider squad quickly dispatched in its only other games vs. quality foes (trailed Tennessee & Houston by combined
59 pts. by H!) Payback doesn?t work. MEMPHIS 95 - Middle Tennessee State 60 RATING - 10
11* UTAH over Missouri State...After hardly slowing anyone down (50% FGs, ranked 322nd LY!) in LY?s disastrous 11-19 campaign, Utah?s
demanding 1st-year mentor Jim Boylen (Coach Izzo disciple) has Utes finally focused on defense, while going more uptempo (with set plays)
on other end (hitting 50% FGs). That formula should work vs. still-evolving MS missing the leadership & shooting prowess of LY?s top 3 leading
scorers, as Bears have committed 44 TOs and are only 6 of 40 from arc in both road games vs. major foes thru Dec. 10. And watch Utes agile
7-1, 275 C Nevill (14 ppg, 8 rpg) hurt State?s foul-prone 6-9 C Richards in paint. *UTAH 76 - Missouri State 60 RATING - 11
THE LAST ONE IS AN 11* , THE FIRST TWO ARE 10* 'S
THE GOLD SHEET:
*Cincinnati 23 - SAN FRANCISCO 20?Will S.F.?s last-in-yards, last-inpoints
offense be able to move like a normal team vs. Cincy?s injury-thinned
defense (25 ppg)? Probably not. However, it?s usually not a good idea to lay
substantial points on the road with flawed teams such as Cincy that also have
dubious motivation. Plus, the Niners can still run hard with Frank Gore and
defend respectably, while young veteran QB Shaun Hill (22 of 28 off the bench
last week after Trent Dilfer?s concussion) has been eager for his chance. TV?
NFL (03-CIN. -3 41-38...SR: SF 9-3)
THE SPORTS REPORTER--
RECOMMENDED
CINCINNATI over *SAN FRANCISCO by 17
The Play for Pride Bowl, with the Bengals? prospect for a .500 season their proverbial
dangling carrot. The best San Francisco can hope for is to worsen the first round draft
pick they?ll be handing over to New England at season?s end. The rest of the NFL will be
thrilled to know that the Patriots will most likely end up with the #2 pick in the draft ?
hello Darren McFadden! Despite a desultory 2007 season so far, the Bengals have been
saddled by a tough schedule that did them no favors. Luckily, the last three weeks represent
very winnable games. Rudi Johnson?s best game in weeks should give the Cincy
offense some hope of consistency after suffering through Carson Palmer?s worst stretch
of his career in recent weeks. The San Francisco defense, which began the season with
such high hopes, has been decimated by injury and overuse and should prove susceptible
to a high-flying Bengals attack that should be able to take advantage of a 49ers
squad that has already given up the ghost. CINCINNATI 30-13
ANDY ISKOE
OPINION -
SAN FRANCISCO + 9 over Cincinnati
THE SPORTS REPORTER
BEST BET
*PENN STATE over DENVER by 25
After performing to reasonable expectations, Pioneers took a bad step when starting G
Tyler Bullock (10+ PPG) left the team for family reasons December 7, opening the door
for rare Nittany Lion domination of a ?board program.? F Jamelle Comley saw action in
encouraging come-from-behind win over respectable Seton Hall. Perhaps the Nits can
build on that. PENN STATE, 83-58 .
BEST BET
*WASHINGTON over PORTLAND by 24
Held back by the absence of a legitimate, sustained outside-shooting threat, Huskies
were revitalized by senior Ryan Appleby?s return to action against Pitt last weekend. Even
though Husky G Adrian Oliver has announced his decision to transfer, Appleby?s presence
adds up to a net plus, though Saturday?s result was a severe disappointment. This foe?s
made-to-order, in terms of reviving Husky spirits, however. WASHINGTON, 96-72.
RECOMMENDED
UAB over *KENTUCKY by 3 (at Louisville, KY)
[UAB, plus the points] Billy Gillispie was trying to say things the right way leading into the
Indiana game, but what came out sounded suspiciously like excuses, before the fact.
Neither Eric Gordon nor Armon Bassett played for the Hoosiers, and Indy STILL put the
?Cats through the wringer. The body language in the vicinity of the Wildcat bench was
dreadful, during that exercise, and it was reflected on the scoreboard. The Blazers are
very athletic, can keep pace defensively, and shouldn?t be catching double-digits, here.
UAB, 72-69.
WINNING POINTS:
***BEST BET
*Atlanta over Charlotte by 14
After a promising start the Bobcats have run into problems. They had dropped seven
of eight through the first week of this month, not coming within 16 points during
three of their past four defeats. The players were losing confidence in first-year coach
Sam Vincent, there is lack of leadership on the floor and poor play at point guard. The
Hawks are trying to build-up their fan base. This is a good opportunity for them to
impress people with a blow-out win. They have the talent with Joe Johnson, Josh
Smith and Marvin Williams. ATLANTA 102-88
***BEST BET
New Jersey over *New York by 12
The Nets have matched up well to their neighbor rivals, winning 20 of the past 25
while covering eight of the past 12. The Knicks upset the Nets, though, when the
teams 10 days ago in New Jersey. The rested Knicks caught the Nets playing their
fourth game in five days and without Jason Kidd, who missed the 100-93 loss because
of a migraine. Vince Carter is regaining his touch. The Knicks can?t be taken seriously
as long as Isiah Thomas remains the coach. NEW JERSEY 103-91.
COLLEGE:
Saturday, December 15
***BEST BET
Butler* over Florida State by 20
Can?t imagine the guard-laden Seminoles absorbing much in the ?how-to-beat-Butler?
preparation. Defensive intensity necessary saps the offensive energy. Lose-lose situation.
FSU sank a school-record 20 three-pointers -- including five from walk-on Brian
Hoff and six from Isaiah Swann ? beating Maine 95-55 last Saturday. Don?t they wish
they?d have saved some of that accuracy for this building? "It feels good when shots go
down like that," Toney Douglas said. "We really started having fun out there." Fun is
fleeting. BUTLER, 72-52.
GOLD SHEET HOOPS
***New Jersey 96 - NEW YORK 84?Dynamics ought to be much different for
rematch of New York?s 7-point win at Meadowlands ten nights ago. That?s
mainly because Jason Kidd almost assuredly back in Nets? lineup after missing
that one with a migraine, and we know New Jersey definitely not the same team
if it?s Eddie Gill running the show from the point. Series trends still point toward
Nets, who have won 10 of last 12 vs. troubled Knicks, who have fallen into
Atlantic basement. 07-NY +6' 100-93 (185); 06-Nj -3 101-100 (194), NJ -4' 101-
92 (197), NJ -9' 100-86 (190), Nj -6 104-95 (193) TV?NBA NETWORK
***NEW MEXICO 82 - Texas Tech 67?With popular new HC Steve Alford
now filling up the ?The Pit,? favor ball-sharing (20 apg), deep Lobos (10 playing
15+ mpg), who are excelling on both ends (hitting 50% FGs, yielding just 60
ppg). NM?s gifted, defensively-tenacious 6-5 sr. G J.R Giddens (12 ppg, teambest
8 rpg) will pester Texas Tech?s slashing G Martin Zeno (17 ppg) or
marksmen G Alan Voskuil (14 ppg, 3 treys pg at nation-leading 69%!). And Red
Raiders ever-controversial HC Bob Knight (check out the hunting video on
YouTube), who says his squad must play smarter, is just 9-19 as a road dog since
?03-?04. 06-TECH -9? 70-68
***SOUTH ALABAMA 79 - Mississippi St. 69?After pair of frustrating, but
highly-combative 3-pt. losses at Ole Miss & Vandy (OT) in November, athletic,
uptempo USA ready to notch SEC ?hump win? in highly-anticipated revenge
game with MSU, which totally embarrassed Jags 84-46 in Starkville LY. USA?s
3-G attack?composed of Demetric Bennett (19 ppg, 3 treys pg at 38%),
Domonic Tilford (15 ppg, 44% from arc) & Daon Merrit (12 ppg, 5 apg)?can
handle Bulldogs pressure defense in rematch. And Rick Stansbury?s
potentially-fatigued squad (off Miami-Florida tilt fewer than 48 hours prior), is a
poor 4-17 SU away vs. TGS-rated squads last 2+Ys. 06-MSU -12 84-46
